New Delhi, June 2 (IANS) All India Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday launched a sharp attack on the Central government over the transfer of CBSE Chairman and Secretary amid the ongoing controversy surrounding the board’s digital evaluation system, describing the move as a “mere eye-wash”.

In a strongly worded post on X, Kharge demanded the immediate removal of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, saying it was the only step that could deliver justice to students.

He wrote that the transfer of CBSE Chairman and Secretary was a mere eyewash and added that PM Modi should immediately sack Dharmendra Pradhan. He said nothing less than that would provide a sense of justice to 18.5 lakh CBSE students.

Kharge further stated that the “Big Breaking is not this whitewashing, the Real News is Pradhan’s continuation despite all this!”

On the same day, the government appointed senior IAS officer Lokhande Prashant Sitaram as the new Chairman of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). Senior bureaucrat Varun Bhardwaj, a 2008-batch Indian Information Service officer, was appointed as the new CBSE Secretary.

These appointments came hours after the previous Chairman, Rahul Singh, and Secretary Himanshu Gupta were transferred out of the national education board.

The decision follows serious allegations of irregularities in the newly introduced On-Screen Marking (OSM) system used to evaluate Class 12 answer sheets.

The OSM system, aimed at bringing transparency and efficiency in exam evaluation, has reportedly faced technical glitches, delays, and questions over the procurement process, triggering widespread criticism from students, teachers, and opposition parties.

In a related development, the government constituted a one-member committee to investigate issues related to the procurement of services for the CBSE’s On-Screen Marking (OSM) system. The committee is expected to submit its findings and suggest corrective measures at the earliest.

Students and parents have demanded a swift resolution and safeguards to prevent recurrence of such lapses in future examinations.

–IANS

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